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17 March 2016

RUAG's Dornier 228: The Centre of Attention in Colombia

The Dornier 228 was the highlight of the CABSEC (Caribbean Basin Coastal Surveillance and Maritime Security Summit) and SABSEC (South American Security Summit) conferences, at Cartagena, Colombia.

Dornier 228 (All Photos: Santiago Rivas)

After a successful presentation in Bogotá, the Dornier 228 flew to the Caribbean coast, to the historical city of Cartagena, to take part at CABSEC and SABSEC, which is the main event to analyse the security problems on the region of the Caribbean Sea, which sees a growing threat of organised crime, especially in drug trafficking.

More than 100 representatives of governments, armed and security forces, and companies of the region visited the airport of Cartagena as part of the tour organised by the conference through diverse facilities, including the main naval base of the Colombian Navy and shipyards. During their visit at the airport, they were introduced on the capabilities and versatility of the Dornier 228 by RUAG’s representatives, who also guided them around the plane and showed the spacious cabin and the cockpit with all its avionics.

The Dornier 228 is the buzz at CABSEC and SABSEC.

One of the main problems in the Caribbean are fast boats carrying drugs, moving at speeds of 40-45kt, which are usually detected by planes which guide surface ships to intercept them. As drug traffickers drop the drugs overboard upon detection, the plane has to be as far away as possible (to stay undetected), using optical sensors to follow the boats, keeping low speed, so it can make out the pattern of the boats. Low noise is also a key for success to remain undetected. The Dornier 228, thanks to its capacity to fly at speeds of 70kt, long endurance, and low engine noise is the ideal platform for such kind of missions.

After the end of the conference, on Friday 18 March, the Dornier 228 will leave Colombia and head for Peru, landing at Talara, in the north of the country, before reaching Lima on 19 March.